CIPROS7

Cleaning Topics

Cleaning Unit

The appropriate Cleaning Station design is essential to perform high-performance CIP. Check if your cleaning system is adequate for cleaning your RO system. If not, you should justify capital expenditures for the necessary cleaning skid modifications; otherwise, you can't perform an effective chemical cleaning causing more costs with elements to replace due to the membranes' short life.

You must have the appropriate flow-meters, pressure gauges and valves installed in your cleaning unit, see figure 1.

Major cleaning unit components are:

The Tank

The cleaning tank and its cover must be of a non-corrosive material like FRP, and its volume has to hold the 1st array pressure vessels plus piping plus cartridge filters water volume. The tank needs a mixer, drain, and controls for level and temperature. It is necessary to install a heating unit to heat the cleaning solution at 40 °C.

The Pump

The recirculation centrifugal pump must be corrosion resistant, and the flow-pumping required is 34 to 45 lpm (9 to 12 gpm) for every 4 inches parallel pressure vessel of the 1st stage. If you have 8 inches elements, you need a 136 to 182 lpm (36 to 48 gpm) flow-pumping for every parallel pressure vessel of the first stage. As the cleaning requires proper cross-flow velocity, the pump pressure shall be less than 4 bar (60 psig).

The Filter

The cartridge filter has to use 5 to 10-micron elements to remove foulants that displace during the CIP procedure.